Barber, Richard & Gina Newsletter (Spring 2015)

We have heard from Hope School, the ministry our Holy Land team worked with last summer. They have been able to complete the building we started and it looks great. We thought you would enjoy seeing the completed project, so we are including before and after pictures. It will house the laundry facility, and the old laundry area located in the main building is being transformed into kindergarten classes. They have also been able to replenish their chicken farm which helps support the school with the money received from the sale of eggs. God is doing great things for Hope School, and we are grateful to have had a small part in the ministry they have to their students.

April 9th was “Big Top Day” here at Teen Missions. Our main tent, Big Top One went up. Big Top Two, the Peanut Tent and the Mustard Seed Tents all went up as well. All of the side curtains are hung and the plywood is on the ground under BT #1. One of the verses the teens learn during the summer is Nehemiah 4:6 “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work”. Our staff and volunteers had a mind to work, and work we did.

Big Top Day is a reminder that Boot Camp will soon be here. In just a few weeks teens and leaders will be arriving for two weeks of training and then we will be off to our summer mission destinations. With our teen program, Mustard Seed, and Peanut ministries we have a total of 665 participants this summer.

Some of you already know that we will be taking a team to Haiti. We look forward to once again working with Mission Possible and especially with our long time friend, Pastor Herve Pierre. Recently, Mission Possible was able to expand their school ministry with the purchase of land and buildings from another ministry organization. The mountains will be a new area of Haiti for us. (We’re hoping it will be a little cooler than the St. Marc area!) Our project is to help refurbish the school and make desks and benches for the classrooms. If possible the teens will do some evangelism with the local children. At this time we have 24 teens and 2 assistant leaders so we should be able to accomplish great things.

Hope School before and after

As we prepare for our summer ministry, please join us as we pray for safety in travel and in our work. Pray for the team members to be able to raise the support needed and for a healthy summer. You may also pray for team unity and spiritual growth in each team member as they will face many challenges they have never had to face before. God does a lot of stretching in all of us during our summer mission trips. Just a note—we have a prayer closet in the office where each hour a staff member, student, or volunteer prays for each team member and each area of ministry of Teen Missions every work day. Forty days prior to Boot Camp we will man the prayer closet 24 hours each day.

I am getting ready to purchase food for the summer teams. I have also been cooking a few luncheons for Tabernacle Tours, working with volunteers making t-shirts and filling in at the reception desk when needed.

From my perspective Richard just rides his bicycle around all day. His job is to oversee people who are working in different areas all over the grounds, which covers a couple hundred acres. He is always checking to see how they are doing and getting them the supplies they need. He stays busy keeping up with the grounds, various repairs, vehicles, and any new construction that may be needed. The latest building is for the Motorcycle Sunday School Mission supplies.

Jon continues to volunteer at Teen Missions. He is still planning to go to Malawi on the well drilling team and then remain there for a year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring the Gospel of Christ and safe water into these villages. In late April he will be going to North Carolina for a well drilling school. We, as parents, are thankful that a friend of Jon’s, Jonathan Ayers, will now be joining him for schooling and for the year in Malawi. The total needed for the year is $5000.00. He now has $2000.00 with monthly pledges and gifts. We ask that you give prayerful consideration to helping him meet his goal. Please share Jon’s calling with your church, prayer group, Bible study or youth group. Perhaps they would like to make it a missions challenge for their group. If you are able to help in any way please send contributions to Teen Missions, 885 E. Hall Rd., Merritt Island, FL 32953. Please include a note stating that your check is for the support of Jonathon Barber. If all of us join together with as little as $10 per month he would have full support.

A large group from Lancaster Community Church came down in March. We printed a lot of t-shirts for our overseas Boot Camps and for the Motorcycle Sunday School Missions. Several roofs were replaced on Heavenly Street and a huge amount of work was done for the upcoming Mud Run. Eunice and Ruth Pettibone were also here for a few days and printed more t-shirts, helped make memory verse packets (each team member learns 40 verses during the summer), and helped sort some of the puppets. The Lord has blessed us with many wonderful friends and we are thankful that they are willing to not only support us with finances and prayer, but actually physically work side by side with us in this ministry.

It has been a year now since we moved to Florida. We moved into our home in May, and we are finally in the process of building a large workshop/storage shed. Richard will be happy to have all of his tools in one place and not scattered between our garage and the storage trailer. I will be glad to have a place for storing Christmas boxes and other seasonal items. We have shelves in the garage, but additional space will be nice. It’s a big deal moving from a home with a full basement, a garage and a barn. We thought we downsized, but we still have a lot of “stuff”.

Being around old friends has been fun, and we have made several new ones. We get together for cookouts or pizza and have evenings of games and lots of laughter. Teen Missions has a pontoon boat available to staff and we have had a couple of opportunities to go out with friends, take our lunch and just relax for the afternoon. It’s especially exciting when we get to see dolphins and manatees. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with wonderful friends here in Florida and all over the world. It makes being away from our family easier—and facetime helps a bit too.

We want to close by thanking each of you for your prayers and financial support. We realize that we are here because of you.

In Christ,

Richard , Gina, and Jon

P.S. We just received our deputation dates. We will be in Ohio Aug. 16 thru Aug. 30. Let us know if you would like us to share with your church, prayer group or study group.